For the 12th consecutive year, a national publication has recognized all five McAllen ISD high schools among America’s best.
U.S. News & World Report has published the rankings of the “2026-2027 Best U.S. High Schools.” For more than a decade, McAllen ISD has had its high schools recognized by either U.S. News & World Report or The Washington Post. The McAllen ISD schools are:
· Achieve Early College High School (100 percent graduation rate)
· James “Nikki” Rowe High (99 percent graduation rate)
· McAllen Memorial High School (98 percent graduation rate)
· McAllen High School (98 percent graduation rate)
· Lamar Academy (100 percent graduation rate)
Achieve Early College High, a two-time national Blue Ribbon Award winner, is ranked 48th of 2,297 high schools in Texas. That places them in the top 2.1 percent in the state. In the nation, they landed within the top 350 of nearly 18,000 ranked schools, placing the campus in the top 1.9 percent.
“This national recognition is a testament to our total team effort year in and year out,” McAllen ISD Superintendent Dr. René Gutiérrez said. “The dedication and hard work of our students, teachers and staff is second to none. I want to thank all our parents for their support and our Board of Trustees for its leadership.”
The U.S. News High School Rankings include data on more than 27,000 public high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
There were 17,945 high schools which earned a spot in the final rankings. The study is based on six factors which include performance on state assessments and how well the school prepares students for college.
The six factors are:
· College readiness (30 percent or ranking).
· State assessment proficiency, based on aggregated scores on state assessments that students may be required to pass for graduation (20 percent).
· State assessment performance, based on whether performance on state assessments exceeded expectations given the school's proportion of underserved students (20 percent).
· Underserved student performance (10 percent).
· College curriculum breadth, based on proportions of 12th-grade students who took and earned a qualifying score on AP and/or IB exams in multiple content areas (10 percent).
· Graduation rate (10 percent).
McAllen ISD is a district of choice, offering STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) in Pre-K-12, International Baccalaureate in grades 1-12, a Collegiate Academy program, Advanced Placement courses, Career and Technical Education (CTE) in 13 career clusters where students earn professional licenses or certifications plus four dual enrollment academies through South Texas College. McAllen ISD also offers students the chance to earn any of five endorsements (career paths) recognized in Texas.
McAllen High, McAllen Memorial and McAllen Rowe high schools are traditional schools offering multiple educational paths and electives including opportunities in fine arts, athletics, CTE and more.
Achieve Early College High has earned many accolades since it first opened in 2008. The school earned its second national Blue Ribbon Award in 2021 after earning its first Blue Ribbon in 2015. Through its relationship with South Texas College, Early College High School students can earn college credits and even an Associates Degree before they graduate high school.
About McAllen ISD
McAllen ISD is a 2026 winner of the state’s Postsecondary Readiness Distinction. The district is home to 31 campuses and approximately 19,500 students. To learn more about McAllen ISD’s schools and programs, contact Student Outreach at 956-687-MISD (6473).
On the web
“2026-2027 Best U.S. High Schools” https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools